Opulence. It’s a wonderful word. To me it’s more than just a synonym for great wealth or abundance or affluence. It’s a word that defines a brief era of humankind. In a time in the not so long past, there existed a slice of society that brought to life “opulence” during what is called in America the “Gilded Age”. From the Newport mansions in Rhode Island to Hearst Castle in California to the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, examples from this time of decadence appear infrequently in the western hemisphere, but in the great cities of Europe it’s easy to find examples of the beauty these places were intended to preserve.

To view the Paris Opera House is a lesson in opulence. Romance sweeps any observer off their feet. Rounding a corner and being met with the sight below is breathtaking. The intricacy of the carvings along the wall and the craftsmanship required to construct such a miraculous foyer beg the eyes to wander in delight and drink in the astonishing wonder.
The care of the creation of each crystal in the chandeliers, the precision placement of each brush stroke on the ceiling, the deep rich warmth of the gold hugging the foyer is delightful. The doors to the left of the hall could spread themselves wide open to let in the “City of Light”. Paris was always at the door, flooding its way into the Grand Foyer of the Opera House, inviting the opulence outside, to fill the city with its magic and beauty.